10 Storylines to Follow During MLB Playoffs

How far can the Kansas City Royals go?

How Far Can The Kansas City Royals Go? - Not only did the Kansas City Royals make the MLB playoffs for the first time in 29 years, but they won their wild-card game in dramatic fashion via a 12th-inning walk-off triple by Eric Hosmer to give them a 9-8 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night. Next up for the Royals? An American League Division Series with the Los Angeles Angels. Can the Royals keep it going? How far can this year's Cinderella-story take it this post season? These are just a few of the many questions that are filling the air for the 2014 MLB playoffs.  (Photo: Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

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How Far Can The Kansas City Royals Go? - Not only did the Kansas City Royals make the MLB playoffs for the first time in 29 years, but they won their wild-card game in dramatic fashion via a 12th-inning walk-off triple by Eric Hosmer to give them a 9-8 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night. Next up for the Royals? An American League Division Series with the Los Angeles Angels. Can the Royals keep it going? How far can this year's Cinderella-story take it this post season? These are just a few of the many questions that are filling the air for the 2014 MLB playoffs.  (Photo: Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates - The American League wild-card game set off plenty of fireworks. What will the National League wild-card game present when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the San Francisco Giants? The offense and defense of Andrew McCutchen (25 home runs) up against the total-team play of the Giants with heavy-hitting catcher Buster Posey (.311 batting average, 22 home runs).(Photos from left: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images, Christian Petersen/Getty Images) 

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San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates - The American League wild-card game set off plenty of fireworks. What will the National League wild-card game present when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the San Francisco Giants? The offense and defense of Andrew McCutchen (25 home runs) up against the total-team play of the Giants with heavy-hitting catcher Buster Posey (.311 batting average, 22 home runs).(Photos from left: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images, Christian Petersen/Getty Images) 

Can Nationals Pitchers Carry Them to the World Series Title? - In Doug Fister (16 wins), Tanner Roark (15 wins), Jordan Zimmerman (14 wins), Stephen Strasburg  (14 wins) and Gio Gonzalez (10 wins), the Washington Nationals quite simply have the most dominating pitching staff in all of baseball. They say pitching wins championships, right? Well, here is the Nationals' staff's chance to prove the adage true. (Photo: John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Can Nationals Pitchers Carry Them to the World Series Title? - In Doug Fister (16 wins), Tanner Roark (15 wins), Jordan Zimmerman (14 wins), Stephen Strasburg  (14 wins) and Gio Gonzalez (10 wins), the Washington Nationals quite simply have the most dominating pitching staff in all of baseball. They say pitching wins championships, right? Well, here is the Nationals' staff's chance to prove the adage true. (Photo: John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Albert Pujols Joins 500 Home Run Club - Albert Pujols became the third-youngest and 26th overall member of Major League Baseball’s 500 home run club, hitting his 499th and 500th-career home runs Tuesday night in the Los Angeles Angels’ 7-2 win over the Washington Nationals. (Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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Albert Pujols's Ability to Turn Back Hands of Time - At 34, Albert Pujols mustered a 28-home run, 105-RBI season. The two-time World Series champion and veteran slugger has been waiting for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to return to the postseason since he joined the team in 2012. Now's his chance to show and prove and perhaps turn back the hands of time with some remarkable playoff baseball. The Angels will likely need everything Pujols has got, as they face the red-hot Kansas City Royals next. (Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Can Kershaw and Puig Lead Dodgers to Championship? - The Los Angeles Dodgers couldn't quite get to the next level in last year's playoffs. What kind of difference will a year make? The Dodgers finished 94-68 atop the National League West division and tout Clayton Kershaw, the best pitcher in baseball this season with 21 wins and an ultra-stingy 1.77 ERA. If he mows down lineups as expected and Yasiel Puig handles the hitting, are we looking at a championship-caliber Dodgers ball club? We will find out soon with the Dodgers opening up the National League Division Series on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

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Can Kershaw and Puig Lead Dodgers to Championship? - The Los Angeles Dodgers couldn't quite get to the next level in last year's playoffs. What kind of difference will a year make? The Dodgers finished 94-68 atop the National League West division and tout Clayton Kershaw, the best pitcher in baseball this season with 21 wins and an ultra-stingy 1.77 ERA. If he mows down lineups as expected and Yasiel Puig handles the hitting, are we looking at a championship-caliber Dodgers ball club? We will find out soon with the Dodgers opening up the National League Division Series on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

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Wainwright Equalizing Kershaw - It's going to be hard for the St. Louis Cardinals to hit Clayton Kershaw... simply because not too many teams do. However, one way of challenging the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace is to fight fire with fire and that's exactly what the Cardinals are doing by sending their own ace, Adam Wainwright, to the mound against Kershaw in Game 1 of their National League Division Series. Kershaw's 21 wins and 1.77 ERA are the league's best, but Wainwright's 20 wins and 2.38 ERA are practically right there. If Wainwright's performance — and a few Cardinals' hits — can negate Kershaw, then we could see St. Louis moving on to the National League Championship Series soon.(Photos from left: Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images, Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) 

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Wainwright Equalizing Kershaw - It's going to be hard for the St. Louis Cardinals to hit Clayton Kershaw... simply because not too many teams do. However, one way of challenging the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace is to fight fire with fire and that's exactly what the Cardinals are doing by sending their own ace, Adam Wainwright, to the mound against Kershaw in Game 1 of their National League Division Series. Kershaw's 21 wins and 1.77 ERA are the league's best, but Wainwright's 20 wins and 2.38 ERA are practically right there. If Wainwright's performance — and a few Cardinals' hits — can negate Kershaw, then we could see St. Louis moving on to the National League Championship Series soon.(Photos from left: Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images, Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) 

Orioles Blast Tigers in Game 1 of ALDS - The Baltimore Orioles were clinging to a 4-3 lead over the Detroit Tigers heading into the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday night…when their bats came alive. The Orioles pounded out 12 hits in a huge eight-run inning to take a 12-3 lead, which stood as the final score. The 12 runs mark a post-season team record for the Orioles, who will look to tame the Tigers once again during Game 2 of their American League Division Series on Friday at Camden Yards in Baltimore. (Photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

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Are the Baltimore Orioles Being Slept On? - Are the Baltimore Orioles being slept on during this 2014 MLB playoffs? Hmm...they shouldn't be. Quiet as kept, they dominated their way to a 96-66 season, good enough for tops in the American League East division and tied with the Washington Nationals for the second-best win total overall. They tout the slugger with the most home runs in the MLB in Nelson Cruz (40) and a sound pitching staff. Beware of Baltimore.(Photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Do Tigers Have Enough Bite Left? - It took a lot out of the Detroit Tigers to battle their way to the top of the American League Central division and hold off the Kansas City Royals by one game. They still have firepower on both sides of the ball with pitching from the likes of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander and arguably the game's best hitter with Miguel Cabrera. But how much did the Tigers lose with their late-season push and grind to capture the division? Do these Tigers have enough bite to keep going? We'll find out beginning Thursday night, when the Tigers face the Baltimore Orioles in their American League Division Series.(Photo: Leon Halip/Getty Images)

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Do Tigers Have Enough Bite Left? - It took a lot out of the Detroit Tigers to battle their way to the top of the American League Central division and hold off the Kansas City Royals by one game. They still have firepower on both sides of the ball with pitching from the likes of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander and arguably the game's best hitter with Miguel Cabrera. But how much did the Tigers lose with their late-season push and grind to capture the division? Do these Tigers have enough bite to keep going? We'll find out beginning Thursday night, when the Tigers face the Baltimore Orioles in their American League Division Series.(Photo: Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Who Will Be Postseason's Biggest Star? - Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw? The Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera? Baltimore Orioles slugger Nelson Cruz? Superstar players — the time to lead your team is now! Will any of the aforementioned stamp their name all over this post season en route to landing in the record books and helping their respective teams take the World Series title home?  (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez-Pool/Getty Images)

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Who Will Be Postseason's Biggest Star? - Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw? The Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera? Baltimore Orioles slugger Nelson Cruz? Superstar players — the time to lead your team is now! Will any of the aforementioned stamp their name all over this post season en route to landing in the record books and helping their respective teams take the World Series title home?  (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez-Pool/Getty Images)

Miguel Cabrera Was Joking About Bonus - It turns out that Miguel Cabrera wasn’t serious when he told teammate Max Scherzer on Wednesday that he was going to forgo his post-season bonus by not signing the necessary paperwork involved. On Thursday, ESPN reported that the All-Star slugger was only joking and will sign the forms needed to receive his part of the team’s bonus for reaching the postseason. (Photo: Leon Halip/Getty Images)

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Miguel Cabrera's Ability to Take Over - There are times when Miguel Cabrera gets into the kind of hitting zone in which he leaves no doubt that he's the best hitter in baseball today. The Detroit Tigers first baseman hit .313 with 25 home runs and 109 RBI this season, but the past couple of post seasons have seen Cabrera's performance decline at the plate. Can the 31-year-old superstar make up for them with a monstrous playoff performance this year and dare we say claim the Mr. October title for himself?  (Photo: Leon Halip/Getty Images)